Black raspberries, impossible to find and in season for what
seems like two days, were our impetus to set aside the lower meadow for a berry
field. When I was young (er), it
seems like every farmstand had black raspberries in abundance. In the years since, they’ve become
increasingly rare. Beginning in
2000, we began to have an almost impossible time locating any at all, and so we
decided to begin planting them as soon as we could locate some, and as soon as
we could identify the right spot.
The lower meadow is against the Mushroom Woods, and below the riding
ring and Truckpatch. It gets
bright sunlight all day, other than early morning, and is generally somewhat
moist, perfect for berries of all types.
We sourced organic plants from across the country, and now have four
types of black raspberries: Jewel, Blackhawk, Bristol, and Macblack; as well as
12 types of blueberries, four red raspberries, and more, over 750 plants in
total, with more room to grow.